The All-Star games are all done, and now the players are off preparing for the combine in late February. Mock 2.0 shows no movement at the top, but a few changes in the middle and late parts of the round. For those who are new to the EZ Football Futures mocks, this is a view on what I think the teams SHOULD do, not what they will do.
1. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Has Manning been cleared to play, or not? This is the latest question in this offseason's most watched saga. Either way, it seems as if Manning has taken his last snap as the QB for the Colts. This means the time is now for Andrew Luck. Rated by many as the best QB to come out of college since Stanford's last great QB, John Elway, Luck has everything you want in a franchise QB. The colts lucked out (pun intended) on being able to turn their franchise over from Manning to Luck.
St. Louis Rams – Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
Jeff Fisher has been inked to be the next head coach in St Louis, and he and his Rams could go one of two ways with this pick. I gave serious consideration to slotting Matt Kalil here as there current LT, Jason Smith has been a bust thus far. But Smith is young, and having invested a 2nd overall pick on him just a few years ago, I think they add the most dangerous receiving weapon in the class to QB Sam Bradford's arsenal. Blackmon has a great size/speed blend, and excellent hands. He could be a Dez Bryant type weapon, and immediately will give the Rams someone who opposing defenses have to plan for.
Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil, OT, USC
After investing last year’s first rounder in their QB of the future, they now need to invest in a guy who can help him stay upright. Matt Kalil is one of three top tier tackles in this class, and he has the potential to be outstanding. Although I am still not sold on Ponder as a long term answer at QB, the Vikes have tied their wagon to him, and Kalil is the best chance for him to succeed.
Cleveland Browns – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Many of the pundits have Cleveland taking the Heisman Trophy winner with this pick. Whereas I agree, he should go off the board here, I think it should only happen via trade. If the Browns keep this pick, they should take Richardson. I think Hillis has played his last snap in Cleveland, and Colt McCoy should be given one more year before judgment is passed. Richardson is better than former teammate Ingram, and the Browns cannot let him pass as they did with Adrian Peterson a few years back.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
Ronde Barber is at the end of an excellent career and Aquib Talib could wind up in jail any day now with the way he conducts himself. The Bucs have to become better against the pass. They have a young defense, but adding the top cover corner in this class will be a help. Developing alongside other youngsters such as Bowers, McCoy, Foster, and Adrian Clayborne, this Claiborne will part of what should be the best defense in football in another 3 years.
Washington Redskins – Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
This would be the best case scenario for the Skins. Having a talent like RG3 fall to them here at six would mean someone will be sprinting up to the podium with the card. Griffin has all of the tools to be a successful pro, and his athleticism will give opposing defensive coordinators fits as they plan for Washington. Clearly needing an upgrade under center, the Skins will need to hope the Browns pass, and Miami doesn't leapfrog them.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
New Head Coach, Mike Mularkey will have his work cut out for him in Jacksonville, but he has a nice piece at QB in Blaine Gabbert to build around. Now he needs to look to improve a defense that struggled getting after the QB last year. Coples is an excellent athlete off the edge, and will bring a presence that could cornerstone the defense for years to come.
Carolina Panthers – Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina
Cam Newton is looking like he will be a star, but the Panthers need help around him. Ultimately, they would love for a talent like Justin Blackmon to still be around, but that is highly unlikely, so they will wait till later in the draft to add an additional target. Instead they will focus on the defense. Dre Kirkpatrick would be a great pick at a position of need, but his recent legal troubles will cause him to fall on draft day. Instead, they will look to Ingram to help them bring down opposing ball carriers, and get pressure on opposing signal callers.
Miami Dolphins – Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama
I expect the dolphins to try and orchestrate either a trade up or to give away the house to get a QB like Peyton Manning or Matt Flynn this offseason. That would address their biggest need. Next comes an OLB who can cover ground or a RT for their line. Owner Stephen Ross needs to put fans back in the seats, and drafting an o-lineman with their top pick again will go over like a led balloon. Upshaw has tremendous upside, and considering how bad the Phins were at getting pressure this past year, he would make the most sense.
Buffalo Bills – Reily Reiff, OT, Iowa
The Bills played better this year than I had expected, but there is still work to do. With Fitzpatrick’s extension the team could use some help up front to help him, Freddy Jackson, and CJ Spiller shine. Reiff is an exceptional talent who could easily go higher in the draft than 10
th. He can be the long term anchor protecting Fitzpatrick’s blind side for years, and will make this team better immediately.
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Seattle Seahawks – Ryan Tannehill, QB, TAMU
The strong armed Aggie product is flying up draft boards right now. On draft day teams will reach for help at this most important of positions, and I think Tannehill is an immediate upgrade over anything the Hawks currently have as signal caller options right now. They will watch his injury carefully over the time leading up to the draft, but if his recovery is on schedule, I think he will be their QB of the future.
Kansas City Chiefs – Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
The Chiefs are a team could go in many directions with this pick, but adding a guy like Martin would be a great get for them. He is the third of the top tier tackles in this draft and like the two before him, he can be a long term star at the position. Martin is the type of player that could afford Romeo Crennell the opportunity to move Braden Albert to the right side and give the Chiefs an excellent pair of bookends.
Arizona Cardinals – David DeCastro, G, Stanford
The Cardinals need help in a few spots, including their o-line. David DeCastro will be a valuable add as he is flexible enough to play inside or out. I think long term he projects best at Guard, but with all the holes up front for Zona, DeCastro will be an immediate upgrade for this team.
Dallas Cowboys – Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
Janoris Jenkins was one of the guys who helped themselves out the most with their post season performance thus far. He showed during the senior bowl that he still has all of the talent that made him a SEC standout at the University of Florida before getting kicked off the team. If he can prove during his interviews that his behavioral issues are behind him, I can see him landing with the Cowboys. Jerry Jones has never been afraid to take a chance on a guy with such great upside.
Philadelphia Eagles – Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College
Easily the most disappointing team in 2011, Philadelphia needs to find some answers. A blue collar tackling machine like Kuechly will bring an attitude to this defense which inexplicable floundered a year ago. With the vast personalities in this locker room, Luke’s no frills style would be a welcome change.
New York Jets – Mark Barron, S, Alabama
The Jets are a talented team, but their lack of chemistry really hurt them last season. Revis is still one of the best corners in the game, but the Jets safeties hurt this team. Mark Barron was the leader of the National Champion Tide’s outstand defensive unit, and Jets could really use someone with a winning pedigree in their locker room.
Cincinnati Bengals via Oakland – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Thanks to the Carson Palmer deal, the Bengals have two first rounders to continue to build their franchise. Losing Jonathan Joseph last season hurt, so adding his replacement should be their priority. Once upon a time, Kirkpatrick was considered a top 10 pick, but a recent arrest and Jenkins stellar play in the post season has left the former Tide corner falling down draft boards. The Bengals aren't afraid of questionable character guys though, so Dre's fall ends here.
San Diego Chargers – Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia
Like DeCastro before him, Glenn is a flexible lineman who can fit either inside or out at the next level. The Chargers need help upfront. Their lack of consistent line play led to Phillip Rivers having his worst season as the Bolts starting QB last year, and for him, and ultimately them to rebound, they will need to handle pressure better. Glenn gives them a whole lot of options to do just that.
Chicago Bears – Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
The Bears have speed but they still lack a true, reliable, number one receiver. Floyd has good speed, and great hands. He uses his body well, and knows how to go up and get the ball. He has experience in playing in cold weather, so Chicago could be the perfect fit for this Notre Dame product.
Tennessee Titans – Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina
Some may think that 20
th overall may bit a little early for Brown, I expect him to fly up boards after the combine in Indy. He is a freakish athlete, and he can cover a whole lot of field in a hurry. The Titans need a playmaker on the outside of their defense, and I think Bown could be just what they need.
Cincinnati Bengals – LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
The Bengals are in good position for the future. They have a young QB and WR with some good pieces on the defense to build around. It looks however as if they will lose Cedric Benson this offseason, leaving them in the market for a new RB. Lamar Miller is rated by many as the second best back on the board. His shoulder surgery makes me nervous however, and it is difficult to argue with James' production at Oregon. He does have a second round grade in my book, making this a reach pick, but it is a gamble that could pay dividends if it pays out.
Cleveland Browns via Atlanta – Vontaze Burfict, ILB, Arizona State
The Brown get this pick as part of the Julio Jones trade from last year. Having already added Trent Richardson earlier in the round, the Browns can now focus on their D. Burfict is an animal in the middle. He is flat out scary, and I think he will be a star at the next level. The Browns need some attitude on their defense, and Burfict would be an immediate upgrade in the middle for them. With him plus Richardson, the Cleveland fans should go crazy.
Detroit Lions – Alfonso Denard, CB, Nebraska
The Lions made some excellent strides last year, becoming a playoff team for the first time since the Roosevelt Administration. They have a very high powered offense, and a strong, young group at the front of their defense. Now they need to shore up that secondary. Denard is an excellent athlete with great speed who breaks on the ball very well. He has the talent to go even earlier in the round, but with him still on the board, the Lions will have to pounce.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
The Steelers are typically a team who I have a hard time pegging because the rarely have any holes to fill. This year could be different. Pittsburgh could be losing three defensive stalwarts in Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, and James Farrior, but as of now they are all still employed. The o-line also may see some flux as the 2011 pieces were often injured, and didn’t produce as well as the team would have liked. Mike Adams is a mauler up front and could be a good addition for Pittsburgh. Of course should it come to pass that one of the aforementioned defensive studs leaves the Steel City, future mocks may have them going in a different direction.
Denver Broncos – Devon Still, DT, Penn State
The early selection of Von Miller during last season's draft looks to be pure genius. He was the best rookie defensive player, easily. Now if the Broncos can find a big boy in the middle of this defense that can help keep the offensive line from getting out on Miller, then boy will this unit be tough. Still looks like he can do that, plus get some pressure on the QB on passing downs too. People are all over the board on this guy though, and his stock has slipped a little recently. We will have to see how he performs at the combine before we will have a better gauge on his projection.
Houston Texans – Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
The Texans have a very bright future ahead of them when Matt Schaub returns healthy. That being said, this draft will give them the opportunity to shore up some lose ends, as the team gears up to take that next step in 2012. The next group of DTs are all very closely rated and include Michigan State's Jerel Worthy, MSU's Fletcher Cox, and LSU's Michael Brockers, but Poe is on par with them, and is a better fit for the Texans defense. He is a space eater, and I expect that his presence will make running against Houston next year an even more difficult proposition. Seriously… watch out for the Texans next year.
New England Patriots via New Orleans – Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
Every year the Pats field an excellent ball club, and I think it is because of a combination of having this generation’s best coach on the side line, and all of the draft day gymnastics this team always seem to execute. Two more first round picks for the Pats could keep this team in position to replace any parts they need, if they don’t trade the selections away. If they keep this pick, Brockers would be a good choice. Although he had a bit of an off year, he is very talented, and I think he will do well in New England.
Green Bay Packers – Andre Branch, DE, Clemson
The Packers really have very few weaknesses, so they can really go in any direction with this pick. Despite being eliminated from the playoffs already, I still feel Green Bay is the best team in the league. Adding a guy like Branch could make the best even better. Branch come off the end with a strong first step, and he can be difficult to handle for o-linemen. He seals the edge very well, and I expect that skill to come in handy in the black and blue division of the NFL.
Baltimore Ravens – Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
Like Kuechly to the Eagles, and Floyd to Chicago, Konz to Baltimore just fits. The Ravens are a smash mouth football team, and adding a blue colar guy like Konz to snap the ball for the next decade make perfect sense. Konz has the make-up of a great center. He is smart, sturdy, and can play with a mean streak. Sound just like the kind of player Baltimore would love.
San Francisco 49ers – Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
In my first mock, I had the Niners going for a Wide Out to pair with Michael Crabtree and keep San Fran among the elite of the NFC. Alshton Jeffery was the choice and I still love his upside, however, I have pushed him down to the number 4 slot amongst eligible wide receivers. I had overlooked Kendall Wright as simply the product of RG3's great season. After watching some more video of the Bears recently, I have chnaged my mind on Wright. He is a legit receiver in his own right, and he was as much a part of the Heisman winner's season as anyone. The more I see of this kid, the more I like.
New York Giants – Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama
New York’s strength is in their defense, and despite that, I still see adding a stud in the middle as the G-men’s top priority. Last year I projected them landing Rolondo McClain, until the Raiders surprised me and snatched him. This year, I think they should try and land his replacement at Alabama in Hightower. He showed during the national championship game that he could make all the reads, and QB the best defense in the country. Adding him to this nasty New York front would make life hellish for the rest of the NFC next season.
New England Patriots – Nick Perry, DE, USC
Despite how good New England is, their defense took a step backwards in 2011. Master Bill loves versatile defenders with good skills, and although raw, Nick Perry is exactly that. My guess is that he will play end in the pros, but he could also line up from the outside linebacker position depending upon the alignment. He is a special athlete, and he will add some to a front 7 that lacks that athletic edge.
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